The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-09
M1rK1EwIozs CONCESSIONS.
The Russian Legation May Prevent
Their Completion
From, the New York .su,

The Russian Legation May Prevent
Their Completion.
From the New York sua
WASHINGTON, Sept. 5.-The Chinese min
lister has not yet decided to sign the conces-
sions fer bank, telegraph and telephone
privileges to the Barker syndicate. He is
investigating the financial standing of the
parties in the syndicate, and he will take
ample time before deciding upon his course.
Mitkiewicz has been, according to his
friends, too indiscreet in pub
fishing his plans. This indiscretion
has caused him to come into a
great deal of prominence, and it is probable
that he will have to read great many I'M
pleasant things about himself before he sue
ceeds in clasping the millions which ne has
in view. The Russian legation may have a
great deal to say, if current reports are true,
and it is possible that the Representatives of
the Gar may spoil the whole scheme 1t is
said that there is grave doubt as to the
right of MitkiewicZ to assume the title which
he persists in adding to his name. A care
full search of the heraldry of Russia to-day
fails to show that this name is recorded
among the nobility of the Cars empire.
Mr.. Paine, of Pennsylvania, who is Mr..
Wharton Barker's immediate representa-
outcome of the conferences which are being
held with the Chinese Minister He says
that the capital necessary to carry out the
enterprise y forthcoming, and that the syn
dictate will have no difficulty in convincing
the Chinese Minister that they can do all
that they undertake. He does not doubt
that the concession will be signed by the
Minister, but he does not expect that this
will be done Immediately. In the mean
L. kill
.'Where do we come ing If they cannot
get satisfactory answer to this question
they threaten to make some interesting dis
closures. 1t seems that the money of the
company has been heavily invested to
secure the concession, and that there is a
prospect of frigid weather for all the COM
pany except MitkiewicE
Mitkiewicz is well-known at Amherst
Mass. He appear there in the summer of
1873 At first is was not known why he
came He was 81, :ood-looking and dressed
we'll He put up at the Amherst House, a
little country hotel. There was good deal
of wonder as to who he was and what was
his business. But after awhile it became
known that he was paying attention to Miss
Caroline Lester, the 19-year old daughter of
Ralph Lester, banker of Rochester, and
the niece of Prof. William S. Tyler, the
Greek professor in the college. 1t leaked
out that the Count was engaged to marry
Miss Lester, and the match was much Cos
siped about. He had made Miss Testers
acquaintance on an ocean steamer, it was
said She was with her parents returning
from a tour of Europe, and he was coming
to this country to live. Miss Lester was a
novel-reading girl and very impressionable
He told her stories of his noble pedigree,
and she believed him. He found out that
Miss Testers father was rich and she an
only child.
The Testers lived at Rochester and Bing-
hamton, and visited every summer at Prof.
Tyler's home at Amherst. The Testers and
abroad to find out if his reports about him
self were true They learned, it is said,
that he had no standing at his home in
Poland, that his family were respectable
tradespeople, but that he was looked upon
as a black sheep. Miss Testers parents kept
Mitkiewicz on probation long time while
they investigated his character Finally
they arranged that their daughter should be
separated from her lover for a year, and
that the pair should not write to each other
in that period.
This arrangement lasted until the summer
of 1874, when the Testers again came to
Amherst, and Mitkiewicz reappeared upon
the scene. The Testers forbade their daugh-
ter having ANYTHING to do with the Count.
But Miss Lester did not obey her parents.
She met the Count at the house of a rela-
tive.
Mitkiewicz stayed at the hotel. He was
an expert billiard and card player He CON
tIacted debts Nobody knew the source of
his income, and nobody believed in his title.
In the fall of 1874 Miss Lester and Count
Mitkiewicz were married in Grace church,
Amherst, by the Rev. Henry Allen 1t was
big wedding. All the college students and
townsfolk attended. None Of Miss Testers
relatives or friends were there. But one
solid man of Amherst sympathized with her.
He was wealthy, white-haired man, an ex-
Legislator named Boltwood. He gave the
bride away. She was pretty, plump bru-
nette, and was beautifully dressed. The
Count had been having a convivial time at
the hotel with some friends, and was feeling
quite jolly during the marriage ceremony.
After the wedding in the church they
went to the hotel, where they were remar-
ried by a Catholic priest, the father of ST.
Bridgeth church. Then they took train
for New London. There was a big crowd
at the depot to see them off. The count put
his wife in the cars, and waited himself on
the platform to shake hands with the boys
When the train was leaving he stood on the
rear platform, and winked significantly at
the crowd. Mitkiewicz and his wife were
absent some time, and then they came
TO Northampton. There they ran short of
money, and Mrs. Mitkiewicz sought recon-
Citation with her folks. Then the Mitl1ie-
VICES disappeared. 1t was reported that
they were in California. The next rumor
placed the pair in Italy, where Mitkiewicz
was said to be trying his skill at games Of
chance, and moving from place to place,
leaving debts.
-Four years ago they returned to this
country and separated, Mrs. Mitkiewicz
going to her fathers home at Rochester.
dren, who are now in the charge of her
family.
Mitkiewicz was occasionally heard of at
Washington, where he was lobbying in a
small way Now he turns up in a halo Of
millions